What the hell just happened?

Growing up near Ocean City, MD., I was definitely a sun worshiper. Almost every weekend during the summer I would pack up my beach chair, radio and a cooler and head to the beach! I’d lay there all day….baking away….with little or no thought of the risks or consequences. After college, I landed my first full time radio job, nights on Q-105! So again, during the summer months, off to the beach I went during the day, and off to work I went at night. Well, having the “perfect tan” started to catch up with me about 20 years ago when I found my first skin cancer (Basal Cell Carcinoma)…and so it began. The most recent episode was last fall, when I found a Squamous Cell Carcinoma on the right side of my nose….little did I know what I was in for…. 4 weeks ago I underwent a procedure called “MOHS” surgery (click here) to remove the cancer. In doing so, most of the right side of my nose was also removed…and that wasn’t the hard part…..next came the “forehead flap”… a strip of living, breathing skin that is cut and attached to the side of my nose to replace what was taken….yes, the skin is basically a “finger” that is attached to both my forehead and my nose AT THE SAME TIME! Good times right?! ANY plastic surgeon will tell you that a “flap” is better than a skin graft because it has fat and a blood supply, where a graft is basically a skin “band-aid”. Well, I said goodbye to the “flap” Tuesday, and am now on the mend. It will take 6 – 9 months for my head and nose to look “normal” again, but I’ll always have a scar as a reminder. Why am I telling you all of this? So that you or your kids or your grandchildren will never have to go through it. PLEASE, educate yourself on the dangers and warning signs of skin cancer(click here), and see your doctor or dermatologist every 6 months for a full body check….if you have a spot that doesn’t look normal, HAVE IT LOOKED AT! Many thanks to Steve & Sabrina & Tom for covering for me over the last 4 weeks, and thank you for reading this.